O.C.-bound family held at LAX, returned to Australia (Orange County Register)

O.C.-bound family held at LAX, returned to Australia
Man trying to visit infirm father in La Habra detained 26 hours.

By LOU PONSI, CINDY CARCAMO and DEEPA BHARATH
The Orange County Register

A La Habra physician wants an apology from customs officials she said detained her brother and his family – all Australian citizens – at Los Angeles International Airport for more than a day before deporting them back to Australia without being allowed to visit their U.S relatives.

The man was attempting to visit his ailing 84-year-old father, whom he had not seen for three years.

Nasima Begum, an infectious disease specialist with a practice in West Covina, had been concerned with the deteriorating condition of her father, Mohammad Sardar, who has heart disease.

Sardar and his wife, Halima, 70, have been living with Begum for the past three years.

Begum told her brother, who lives in a suburb of Sydney and is Sardar's only son, if he didn't make a trip to the U.S. to visit their father soon, he might never see his dad alive again. Sardar has been on oxygen around the clock for the past nine months

"As a physician, I know that his health is declining," Begum said.

On Jan. 13, Fazle Rabbi, 38, his wife, Rokeya, 36, and their 14- and 8-year-old sons – all Australian citizens with valid U.S. visas – made the nearly 18-hour trip from Sydney to Los Angeles.

When the family arrived at LAX, they were headed to the federal inspection station at Tom Bradley International Terminal when they were stopped by customs officials.

The Register's attempts to contact Rabbi were unsuccessful.

Rabbi told the Sydney Morning Herald that he and his wife were questioned, patted down and their luggage searched.

The couple was taken in a caged van along with their sons to a detention center, and then at 2:30 a.m. to a hotel, where they remained under guard, the Jan. 25 Herald article stated.

Only a few hours passed when Rabbi said they were awakened, taken back to LAX, and eventually put on a flight back to Sydney.

Rabbi told the Herald his family was given little to eat or drink during the ordeal.

"That behavior by immigration officers to civilians is not appropriate," Begum said. "We are American. … Why did they have to do this? We know that we are not criminal people."

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said they could not get into specific details of what happened because of federal privacy laws.

However, agency spokeswoman Kelly Rose Ivahnenko said Wednesday from Washington, D.C., that an Australian citizen could be denied entry to U.S. if the person had previously been denied a visa, had a criminal history or had overstayed a visa in the past.

Begum said her brother was living in Bangladesh in the early '90s and was denied a visa. Rabbi moved with his family to Australia four years ago, she said.

"It is very common for people from developing countries not to get visas," Begum said.

Officials also disputed the family's allegations of poor treatment.

Ivahnenko said the family was offered food and drink, which they initially refused but accepted later.

"I think it was McDonalds," Ivahnenko said.

On the 26-hour length of stay, Ivahnenko said the next flight to Australian did not leave until the following morning because an earlier flight had been canceled due to mechanical failure. Also, the family was taken to a hotel, not a detention center, she said.

Meanwhile, Sardar said he is longing to see his son.

"I was very much looking forward to seeing him," he said. "My wife, too, was dying to see him. We're both devastated and very sad."

Begum hopes her brother will soon be given permission to enter the country.

"All we want is an apology and for him to be able to come for two or three weeks to see his dad."